News Archive

There is no biological cure for deafness—yet.
We detect sound using sensory cells sporting microscopic hairlike
projections, and when these so-called hair cells deep inside the inner
ear are destroyed by illness or loud noise, they are gone
forever. Or so scientists thought. A new study finds specific cells in
the inner ear of newborn mice that regenerate these sensory cells—even
after damage, potentially opening up a way to treat deafness in humans.

Here’s another reason to love a dog: our best friend is helping
scientists identify the genetic variations that may lead to
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in people, according to new
research. Because the human and canine versions are often similar — dogs
may lick their paws to the point of injury while people may wash their
hands until they bleed — the hope is these and other findings will help
researchers develop new medications to treat the debilitating disorder.

Dennis Kim,
associate professor of biology at MIT, spends his days carefully raising
worms that are no bigger than a comma. The students in his lab feed
them, watching them grow and multiply on petri dishes that sit in a
plastic tub.

Then they infect the worms with deadly bacteria and watch them fight for their lives.

But as the worms die, humans learn how the simplest immune system can
stave off a deadly infection while swimming in a world of bacteria.

New research in mice suggests that a molecule linked to clogged
arteries might activate the immune system to the point where it harms
the body. The findings may explain why clogged arteries, a condition called
atherosclerosis, have been tied to autoimmune disorders, which develop
when the immune system goes awry.

"The lesson from this study is that immune diseases are not always a
matter of immune system alone," said senior study author Yeonseok Chung,
of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. "With our
findings, we have just started to understand how factors in the
circulatory system impact the immune system."

Congratulations to the naked mole rat, which was recently named the Vertebrate of the Year by Science Magazine! Naked mole rats have carved out a reputation for healthy living; they
can last as long as 30 years and stay healthy right up to the end-and
that includes never getting cancer.

On a recent visit to a laboratory where he
researches obesity, Kevin Corbit walked over to one of the patients he
is studying to say hello. Then he clasped a claw.

Dr. Corbit, a scientist at drug maker
Amgen Inc.,
AMGN +0.38%
is conducting his research on grizzly bears. He believes insights
gleaned from the animals, who can take in as much as 58,000 calories in
a day and weigh 1,000 pounds, could reshape understanding of obesity
and identify new treatments for a condition that has stymied doctors and
drug developers.

A team led by a longtime Oregon Health & Science University researcher has demonstrated in mice what could be a revolutionary new technique to cure a wide range of human diseases — from cystic fibrosis to cataracts to Alzheimer’s disease — that are caused by “misfolded” protein molecules.

People with early signs of multiple
sclerosis who were treated with a vaccine used to prevent
tuberculosis were less likely to get sick than patients who
weren’t vaccinated, according to an early study.